A bridge made more dangerous for pedestrians?

Guardrails are in place to protect drivers, not pedestrians. That, I think, is a key takeaway from today’s Advocate column about changes being made to the Congress Street Bridge in Troy.

The changes, part of an ongoing reconstruction of the bridge between Watervliet and downtown Troy, move guardrails to the opposite side of the sidewalk, leaving pedestrians exposed.

The changes, I think, show that the DOT continues to put automotive needs above all others — and that’s a shame, particularly for a frequently walked bridge that links one of the region’s most walkable downtowns to a Price Chopper and riverside parkland in Watervliet.